Colossians 3:12-17 and 4:2
1) Relationship and Attitude
Psalm
128:3 “Your children like olive plants…”
– tender, fragile and need nurturing, so that they become “like a green olive
tree, ...trusting in the mercy of God for ever and ever…” Ps 52:8
Bringing up our children in the love and fear of the Lord means treating THEM with love and respect, and the Lord gave me an ABC when I was teaching in Malaysia ....
A – Z of nurturing
these precious plants....
Accept
Befriend
Comfort
and counsel
Delight
in
Example
Forgive
Gladness
Help
and Heal
and Hug
Implant
and Ignite passion for Jesus
Joy
and Jesus
Kindness
Love
Magnify
God
Not
perfect! Parents are not perfect and kids are not perfect!
Open and honest
Pleasant
and Polite
Quick
to praise
Restore
and Repair
Satisfy
and Succour
Talk
of God’s goodness
Undo
their knots and difficulties
Valiant! You have to be brave and valiant often as a parent!
Watchful for their minds and hearts as well as for their bodies.
Xceptional
listener
Young
in heart
Zip
your mouth!! Lots of occasions it is better to keep quiet!
2) How to Pray
This is in the context of family living. See chapter 3:18-4:1
So our prayer should
Continue
Be earnest
Vigilant, watchful
for the enemy tactics against our kids, and for God’s purpose for them.
Thankful!
Continue DAILY from the time a
child is conceived. Deut 6:6,7 is about communicating the word of God to your
children, but as this is daily and at every meal time, so must our praying be.
This sharing of His love and precepts for them can only reach their hearts
thro’ prayer.
Earnestly
and diligently – Claiming the Word – both rhema for
specific situations and problems, and logos, daily, expectantly for your
children to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Praying in the Spirit, and over them
when they are asleep – in their rooms when they are at school, etc.
Binding the enemy and any of his works
in their lives.
Repenting for our own mistakes,
harshness etc. Weeping for our children’s souls.
Praising with high praises, exalting
Jesus over our children, breaking the power of sin and darkness.
Asking for spiritual gifts, as we bring
them up. (See 1 Cor 12:7-11) All 9 gifts are needed here in the family more
than ever.
Asking for the Holy Spirit’s help. Ask
Him when you do not understand why a prayer isn’t answered, or a problem persists.
Developing friendship in prayer with
other mums and dads. Share and pray for each other, and call on one another in
emergency too.
Remembering schools and teachers,
earnestly pleading for them and for their influence in our children’s lives.
Vigilant
in prayer – this often saves us being
over-protective and preventing our children from learning thro’ their own
experience and mistakes! Be alert, sometimes awake in the night too, praying as
God gives discernment and sometimes warnings. Cover in the blood of Jesus
daily.
Thanksgiving
at all times and in the most trying of times! Thanksgiving
will take us into His courts to hear Him and receive His answers. Also it will
make home the best place to be. Children will bring their friends into joyful
happy homes, where thanks is a pattern for living! Children, who know their
parents thank God for them just as they are, will respond to love and
discipline readily.
3)
What to Pray
Deut
5:29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!
As parents we need a heart
to fear, love and serve God first and foremost, that it might be well with our
children and grandchildren.
PRAY FOR:
Salvation – personal experience as
early as possible
Spiritual growth
Love for the Word
God’s leading and guiding as they grow
up. (Hands off!!!)
Protection for body, mind and spirit
Love for Jesus
Find prayers in the Word eg: 1Kings
8:56-61
Eph 3:17 Living Bible
And countless others – use psalms and
proverbs often, putting in your child’s name where appropriate. Praying the
Word is powerful, and will meet its mark always – saves a lot of long lectures
in unwilling ears!!!
Some Promises as you Pray
“All your children shall be taught by the
Lord…” Isaiah 54:13
Note that this verse is in the context
of affliction. How many parents all over the world need to hear this. It is not
perfect circumstances or lack of hardship which produces godly children, but
because of the Lord’s kindness and His covenant, verse 10.
“I will pour water on him who is thirsty…I
will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring…..” Isaiah
44:3-5 The only condition
here is to be thirsty!
“ your children like olive plants all around
your table…” Psalm 128:1-4
Note these children are at home, and
the impression is one of health and vitality and joy! They will not wander away.
“Behold, children are a gift of
the Lord;.....like arrows...” sent out to do God’s
purpose and to make peace, Psalm 127:3-5
.
“Those things which are revealed
belong to us and to our children forever...” Deut
29:29 Revelation belongs to
our children. We can expect them to hear God’s secrets, so that they obey Him
and often challenge us too!
“I will be the God of all the families… and
they shall be My people.” Jeremiah 31:1
“…your children shall come back…” Jeremiah
31:17
Never give up. If a
child wanders, perhaps as a teenager or even as an adult, he will come back!
See verse 20 too, and the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15.
Many other verses all over the Bible
give promises for us to humbly pray and claim for our children.
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